America Online Reports `Best of AOL 2002'; AOL's Polls, Search and Message Boards Take the Pulse of What Captured the Nation's Attention in 2002.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 12, 2002

Eminem and Britney Spears Are Most Searched Male and Female and Martha

Stewart Tops Homeland Security

AOL's 35 million members have weighed in on the people and events that shaped 2002. Britney and Eminem, Ozzy and George Bush, Martha Stewart and Enron all made the cut as America Online, the world's leading interactive services company, today announced its "Best of AOL 2002" rankings. This annual listing is based on AOL members' online activity including searches, message boards, polls and chats.

The results of the rankings reflect shifts in popular culture and consumer interest from year to year. "The 'Best of AOL 2002' reflects the pulse of America over the past year," said Jim Bankoff, executive vice president, brand operations at America Online. "By conducting searches, expressing opinions in daily polls and interacting with other members in message boards and live chats, AOL members revealed the hot topics and key trends of 2002."

Results from this year's "Best of AOL" rankings include:

TOP SEARCHES:

Men

In 2002, Eminem became the most searched man on the Internet, replacing last year's favorite, Nostradamus, who did not even make the list. Following Eminem are: 2.) Nelly; 3.) Josh Hartnett; 4.) Vin Diesel; 5.) Lil Bow Wow; 6.) R Kelly; 7.) Tupac Shakir; 8.) Ja Rule; 9.) Shane West; 10.) Usher.

Women

For the second year in a row, Britney Spears is the most sought after female on the Internet. In fact, the top four women in the category stayed the same from 2001 to 2002, including: 2.) Oprah; 3.) Jennifer Lopez; and 4.) Martha Stewart. Rounding out the Top 10 are: 5.) Pamela Anderson; 6.) Avril Lavigne; 7.) Aaliyah; 8.) Ashanti; 9.) Shakira; and 10.) Christina Aguilera.

News Stories

September 11 remained the most searched news story in 2002, as people continued to look for information on the events of that day in 2001, and for memorials and remembrances in 2002. Corporate scandals followed, as Martha Stewart became the second most searched on news story, ranking higher than homeland security, which didn't even make the top 10 in 2002. 1) September 11; 2.) Martha Stewart; 3.) Transportation Security Administration; 4.) MCI Worldcom; 5.) Elections; 6.) Adelphia; 7.) Enron; 8.) Elizabeth Smart; 9.) Osama bin Laden; 10.) Daniel Pearl.

First Families

The Georges win when it comes to Bush family favorites. When searching on America's first family, more people looked for "George Bush," (presumably both George Senior and George W.) than any other family member. Jeb Bush is second, followed by: 3.) Laura; 4.) Noelle; 5.) Jenna; 6.) Barbara; and 7.) Lauren.

Ozzy is still number one in America's "other" first family. Despite the increasing popularity of the entire Osbourne family in 2002, Ozzy is still the favorite with AOL members. Of the five family members, Ozzy was the most searched, followed by: 2.) Kelly; 3.) Sharon; 4.) Aimee; and 5.) Jack.

Duos and Couples

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were the most searched pair on AOL, followed by: 2.) Regis and Kelly; 3.) Opie and Anthony; 4.) Bob and Tom; 5.) Adam and Eve; 6.) Romeo and Juliet; 7.) Beauty and the Beast; 8.) Lewis and Clark; 9.) Don and Mike; and 10.) Brooks and Dunn.

Favorite Georges

George might be the favorite Bush, but he's not the most popular George on the Internet. George Washington was the most searched George in 2002, followed by: 2.) George W. Bush; 3.) George Strait; 4.) George Washington Carver; 5.) Curious George; 6.) George Bush; 7.) George Clooney; 8.) George Carlin; 9.) George Jones; 10.) George Orwell.

Television Shows

American Idol was a big hit, but not big enough to outrank the ever-popular Oprah. Second only to Britney Spears in the Most Searched Women category, Oprah was number one in television, followed by: 2.) American Idol; 3.) Big Brother; 4.) The Today Show; 5.) Survivor; 6.) Wheel of Fortune; 7.) Buffy the Vampire Slayer; 8.) Friends; 9.) Trading Spaces; 10.) Good Morning America.

Athletes

Anna Kournikova became the new top athlete on AOL, and one of only two women to make the Top 10. Other athletes included are: 2.) Allen Iverson; 3.) Michael Jordan; 4.) Apolo Anton Ohno; 5.) Jeff Gordon; 6.) Trish Stratus; 7.) Muhammad Ali; 8.) Jackie Robinson; 9.) Dale Earnhardt, Jr.; 10.) The Rock.

Bands

Making a big leap from number 117 last year to number one in 2002, the band b2k came from behind to take the top spot in AOL's Most Searched Bands category. They were followed by: 2.) Incubus; 3.) Linkin Park; 4.) 'N SYNC; 5.) Sublime; 6.) Ludacris; 7.) Good Charlotte; 8.) Slipknot; 9.) Blink 182; 10.) tlc.

Authors

When it comes to choosing their authors, AOL members tend to side with the classics, seeking out William Shakespeare, more often than any other writer. Following Shakespeare in 2002 was: 2.) Edgar Allen Poe; 3.) Maya Angleou; 4.) Robert Frost; 5.) Emily Dickinson; 5.) Langston Hughes; 7.) Mark Twain; 8.) Stephen King; 9.) Anne Rice; 10.) Shel Silverstein.

    TOP POLL TOPICS:

    The DC sniper, pending war in Iraq, ongoing threats from al-Qaida
and the latest celebrity scandals encouraged droves of AOL members to
cast their opinions in AOL's daily polls. Over 14 million members
voted in AOL's top ten poll topics of 2002.
1) Did the jury reach the right verdict in the Winona Ryder trial?
   - 79% said Yes.
2) Is it over? (Refers to when the DC sniper suspects were in
   police custody) - 60% thought Yes.
3) Public warnings on the threats from al-Qaida - 76% believed we
   needed to know.
4) During the sniper case - did authorities use the media wisely?
   - 72% said Yes.
5) Who is the bigger threat to the United States - Saddam Hussein
   or Osama bin Laden? - 66% said bin Laden.
6) Should race relations be a factor in college admissions? - 87%
   said No.
7) Should Michael Jackson's kids be taken away? - 48% said Yes.
8) Is the DC sniper acting alone? - 60% said No.
9) Where should cell phones be banned? - 53% ranked movie theaters
   as the number one place.
10) Who should The Bachelor ask to be his bride? - 54% said
    Helene.

    TOP CELEBRITY CHATS

    Reality TV proved its popularity once again as the live chat with
Aaron and Helene from "The Bachelor" came in as the number one live
chat on AOL in 2002. Other top celebrity chats and shows on the
service included:
1) The Bachelor and his choice
2) 'American Idol' Watch and Chat
3) Hot Gossip: Guest Heidi Klum
4) Academy Awards Watch and Chat
5) Golden Globes Watch and Chat
6) September 11 Remembrance
7) Hot Gossip: Ken Sunshine and Alan Light
8) Sessions@AOL: Live: Kelly Osbourne
9) Action Star Vin Diesel
10) Grammy Awards Watch and Chat

    TOP MESSAGE BOARDS

    In 2002, AOL members reached out to each other to discuss hot
topics, questions and concerns. The war on terror dominated AOL
members' thoughts and received the largest number of postings in 2002.
Top message board topics included:
1) War on Terror
2) Baby Circle Boards
3) Turmoil in the Middle East
4) Survivor
5) Big Brother Three
6) Beltway Snipers
7) Dieting/Weight Loss
8) Pregnancy Circles
9) American Idol
10) The Plan to Oust Saddam Hussein

The results of these rankings are not scientific.

About AOL Search, Message Boards and Community Chats

AOL Search(R) is the only service that allows AOL members to search all of AOL's content and the rest of the Internet quickly and easily - from one place. To access AOL Search, members can go to AOL Keyword: Search.

To post messages on an AOL message boards, members can go to AOL Keyword: Message Boards, to get a complete listing of the message boards available on the service. New celebrity chats and member polls are posted daily on the AOL service.

About America Online, Inc.

America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL Time Warner, Inc. Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services.